Machine for topping onions.



PATENTED JULY 26 1904. W. n. HASKELL.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING ONIONS T I P .9 1904. APPLIOA ION ILED A R ZSHBETSSHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Invent-or: mam

92. PATENTED JULY 26 1904. M 7658 w.1). HASKELL.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING ONIONS.v

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1904. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented July 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

MACHINE FOR TOPPING ONIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 765,892, dated July 26,1904.

Application filed April 9, 1904. $erial No. 202,351. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD D. HASKELL, of East Palmyra, in the countyof \Vayne and State of New York, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Machines for Topping Onions, which improvement is fullyset forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanyingdrawings.

My invention is a machine for rapidly'and conveniently cutting the topsfrom onions, the machine being hereinafter fully described, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The process of cutting the tops off of onions by hand,using ordinaryshears, as is commonly done, is not only slow and laborious, but isinconvenient, and, besides, it brings apainful and injurious pressure orstrain upon the thumb and fingers holding the shears. For more rapidlyand conveniently performing this work I have produced an improvedpower-machine, the same being hereinbelow set' forth, reference beinghad in this specification to the accompanying drawings, forming a partthereof.

Figure 1 is a plan of the machine with parts broken away. Fig. 2 is afront elevation seen as indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. 1, a part beingbroken away. Fig. 3 is a view of parts at the right end of the machine,showing the spring-bar and other parts, parts being omitted and brokenaway. Fig. 4c is an elevation of other parts at the right end of themachine, further showing the construction, parts being broken away andomitted. Fig. 5 is a plan of a part of the floor of the hopper and theadjustable plates thereon, parts being broken out. Fig. 6 is anelevation of the right end of the machine seen as indicated by arrow 6in Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the machine seen as indicatedby arrow 7 in Fig. 1, parts being broken away. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectionof the main parts of the machine, taken on the dotted line 8 8 in Fig.1, parts being shown in'various positions by full and dotted lines.Figs. 3, 4., 5, and 8 are drawn to various scales larger than that ofthe remaining figures.

A in the various figures is the frame of the machine, comprising fourcorner-posts b b and (Z d, B being a hopper for primarily receiving theonions to be topped mounted upon the frame A.

C. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, is the main driving-shaft of the machineresting in bearings in the major corner-posts5 Z) and provided withequal spur-gears 0 outside of the posts 5 6 and a pair of overhangingbelt-pulleys g 9 adjacent to the gear a for the purpose of operating themachine by means of an ordinary driving-belt. The shaft C is alsoprovided with a sprocket 71 outside of the gear 0 and an overhanginginertia-wheel D, as shown.

Between the major posts 6 6 upon the shaft C is a cutter-body H, havinga series of longitudinal cutters m, held in heads a, rigid with theshaft. Above and parallel with the driving-shaft C is a similar shaft G,Figs. 1, 3, 7, and 8, resting in bearing-blocks [6, adapted to move invertical directions in vertical slots or openings f f, formed in theupper ends, respectively, of the posts 6 5. This shaft G is providedwith a plain cylindrical roller F, of Wood or other suitable material,between the posts 6 band in position to receive successively against itsconvex surface the cutters m as the two shafts Gr C are revolved. Theshaft G is further provided with gears o 0 in positions to be engaged,respectively, by the gears 0 a of the shaft 0, so that, the cutter-bodyH and the roller F must turn together in opposite directions.

A horizontal bar E occupies the upper parts of the slots ff and is maderigid with the posts 6 b, beneath which bar is a lighter bar is, adaptedto move in vertical directions in the slots f f. Springs it areinterposed between the bar and the respective bearingblocks a a of theroller-shaft G, and vertical thumb-screwsl Z, piercing the rigid bar Eand stepped onto the bar 70, serve to regulate the pressure of thesprings against the blocks a a to hold the roller F down against thecutterbody H with a yielding pressure. The heads a n of the body H arecylindrical with their convex surfaces substantially even with thecutting edges of the cutters m, and the roller F is formed with bands p,of india-rubber or other yielding material, to meet and roll upon I00the purpose of keeping the onion-tops falling from the cutter-body Haway from under the machine and a similar sheet of metal Z, Figs. 2, 4,6, and 8, to the front side of the frame for a similar purpose.

hat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A machine for topping onions, having a hopper with extended floor,revolving cutters and coacting rollers at either side of said floor, andshiftable guards for said cutters and the rollers, means cooperatingwith said guards and adjustable toward and from said rollers, and meansfor operating the cutters and the rollers.

2. A machine for topping onions, having a hopper with extended floor,revolving cutters and coacting rollers at either side of said floor, andshiftable guards for said cutters and the rollers, plates adjustablysecured to said floor to coact with the guards, and means for operatingthe cutters and rollers.

3. A machine for topping onions, having forward and rear corner-postsopen at their upper ends, a shaft with roller held to turn in bearingsinsaid forward corner-posts, a shaft L with cutter-body to coact withsaid rear corner-posts, a shaft with roller to coact with saidcutter-body H held in bearings movable in the open ends of the rearcorner-posts, sprockets on said two shafts L, C, a chain on saidsprockets, adjustable floor-plates between said rollers, guards coactingwith said floorplates, and means for turning said shafts L C.

4:. A machine of the kind described, having a cutter-body and coactingroller at either side thereof, each cutter body having circular heads,cutting-blades between the heads and held at their ends in the heads,each roller having bands of yielding material to roll upon saidrespective heads of the coacting cutterbody, springs acting on thebearings of the shafts of the rollers, and means for turning thecutter-bodies and the rollers.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 30th day of March,1904:, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLARD D. HASKELL. l/Vitnesses:

ENOS B. W HITMoRE, MINNIE SMITH.

